Helga's Very Special Day
by c-ko1
Summary: Helga convinces Arnold that he has a rare condition called "selectivo admirabloh" that makes him selectively nice to certain people and the only way to cure it is for him to genuinely want to be kind to her for a day. A+H!
1. Selectivo Admirabloh

Disclaimer: Hi all! Guess what? Does it even need to be said? I don't own Hey Arnold. There. It's done. On with the fic! I hope you like it!

Helga's Very Special Day.

By c-ko

Helga allowed a quiet breeze to gently caress her young skin and delicately push her not-so-perfect hair into her face. The bell had just rung and all the children were quickly running back to their classrooms after recess. Phoebe had stayed with Mr. Simmons after class to help with the next lesson, leaving Helga to another one or her routine quiet moments to reflect inwardly on herself and her love life. 

"Oh, ARNOLD! My passion My life!" She heaved the Sigh of Love. Her heart began to beat at a quicker pace as she removed _the_ picture frame, in the shape of a vital organ from her dress pocket. Slowly, she began to fabricate a romantic scenario in her imagination. Frankly, the day was in need of a good pick-me-up and Helga knew that a fantasy was the one thing she could do on her own that demanded positive results. It was true, that the more Helga fantasized about Arnold, the greater out of touch she became with reality, but she neither pondered its consequences, nor cared, if she had come to that conclusion at all.

__

Today she imagined they were in the classroomin the back rowTheir desks were jammed together, side by sideHe was so nervous because she was looking so extremely beautiful. His hand gingerly slid from "his side" of the desk onto hers. She gasped. "Oh Arnold We mustn't! If everyone were to know about us If they were to find out"

"Helga You're so caring. Always looking out for someone else. But, to tell you the truth. I want all our classmates to know that I LOVE HELGA G. PATAKI!" 

The kids in the classroom all turned around to face Arnold and Helga. The news seemed to please the entire classroom. Gerald was the first to stand up, nodding his head, smiling. He clapped. Not a boring-school-assembly-that-finally-ended kinda clap. Not a home-team-just-won-the-world-cup kinda clap. It was the slow clap of respect that you might see in movies when the coolest guy just told off the biggest bully in school and made him cry to his mommy kinda clap. Triumphant! Other students also began to join in the clap and pretty soon they were cheering. Cheering just for Helga. 

"HELGA! HELGA! HELGA! HELGA!"

While poor Lila sat on the floor, cleaning up the mess she'd just made when she piddled herself from the horrifying news. Everyone in the class turned to laugh a her for a moment, but it wasn't long, for it was now time to name Helga "Best Girlfriend of the Year" in the school gym. The class lifted Helga and Arnold out of their seats and carried their exquisite physiques out into the hallway. All the while, class after class poured out of their rooms to join in the celebration. 

"HELGA! HELGA! HELGA! HELGA!"

"Helga! HELGA!!"

The chilly deadness of reality set back in, leaving a fresh cold feeling behind, much like that of a nasty scrape. Helga's face fell for a moment, then a scowl came to her newly disrupted mug. She whipped her head around only to find that the person who had interrupted her dreams was none other than the original football-headed lad himself.

"Arnold?" She said breathlessly, heart fluttering. "I mean, uh. What the heck do YOU want FOOTball head?!" 

"I came here to escort you back to class." He said, rather uninterested.

Helga's heart soared through the skies. He was here to escort her! ESCORT her! Escort HER! And what a noble thing to do. What a choice of words. What a beautiful way of putting "I'm taking you to class." Escort! Wonderful. He wasn't going to regret this. If he was going to _escort_ her to class Well then she was going to be the best goddam escortee that ever lived on the green, green earth!

"Um, escort me, Arnold?" She said in her most Lila voice as possible. 

"Yeah," he replied, vaguely attentive. "You've been out here for, like, twenty-five minutes, and Mr. Simmons told me to come out and ask you when you'll be joining us." 

"Oh" She said in a disheveled, flat, tone. Man, she loved him, but he could really say the wrong things at just the right time. "Well, lead the way football boy"

Arnold was _already_ on his way, before she could even sputter out her last sentence. Feeling a little dejected, she remarked, "Nice way to escort a girl, football-Jerk!" 

"Well, _you_ know the way back to class, too! Sheesh!" 

"I bet you wouldn't talk that way to _Liiiiiiila_" She said mockingly, almost singing her name.

"Whatever you say, Helga." Not ever glancing back at her, not even once! 

"You are such a joke!" She said in a last attempt for his attention. " You let everyone believe that you're the perfect little boy who's so kind to every person he meets! But really You You" He turned around to look at her. At last! "You're just a," Greaat, Helga _That's_ the way to his heart. Sucker punch him right in the gut. Sure. Now he'll _really_ respect you. But I guess it's too late to go soft on him now. 

" You're just. SELECTIVELY NICE!!!!!".What did she just say? Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!!!! Now he'll never talk to her again. Just Great! Helga, you are an official moron!

"Th–That's not true!" Gasp, was this hurt she saw? She got his attention. Now what was she supposed to do with him? It certainly was a blessing that she was quick on her toes in a tough situation.

" Uh That's right, buster! You heard me. Se-lec-tive! I, uh, hear all about your kind of people from my sister who's taking a psyche class in University. It's called the uhh, _selectivo admirabloh _condition Got it?"

"Selectiv tiv. not really." He fumbled.

"Well, it means that you couldn't be kind to me for one day Even if you tried!!"

"Is that a challenge?!" Arnold scoffed. 

"Huh?" Helga stepped back once. His face held a fury that surprised even Helga. " Uhhh. Yeah I mean, if you could handle all that deceit and falseness for a day. And you'd have to genuinely want to be kind Or you'll never be cured!" 

Arnold was surprised. " I wont?" Heck, he wasn't surprised, he was worried! Could he genuinely want to be NICE to Helga? The meanest kid in school who taunted his every thought. This task seemed like trying to let a swarm of bees into your heart. You're bound to get stung in the aftermath of it all. Stung, swollen, and deceased from allergies! Was it an impossible feat? Maybe he could live with this this_ selectivo admirabloh _condition. Others had learned to live with this predicament, right? He could join a Selectivo Support Group, right? There was another way out of this. Of course, the only way he could EVER want to be nice to Helga was if she changed her ways or if he looked past her bad points and saw only the good. Was there _even_ a good side to Helga? And if so, how could he find it and bring it out? 

"Helga.Please give me a week." 

"A week?" She said inquisitively. "What for?"

He looked to his hands. "I need a week to bring out the good in you, so that I can learn to like you."

Helga was taken aback. "You're–really going through with all this, footba--?"

"Helga please," he begged "I need your helpPlease?"

Her heart was beaming at those words. Arnold, _needing_ her!! Needing _her_!! Oh! Better not get too excited, again. Her senses swooned back to reality. 

"Well, football head, you got yourself a deal!"

That's my first HA! fic. Actually my first fic ever! How is it so far? I'm not too great at writing, but I'm really trying to learn how to express myself with words. Was it amusing at all? I'm more of an artist but I'm trying to write a manga and figured I'd start with some steady characters before going on with my next project. If you liked this, please review.


	2. Unexpected Guest

Disclaimer: Do you own "Hey Arnold!"? Because I don't. Thank you.

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Helga's Very Special Day

Part 2 Unexpected Guests

"Now, children, children Settle down, now. Settle down, please. Children I'm waiting young people There, that's a little better." Mr. Simmons gave a tight smile at his class. Being the "nice-guy-teacher" in his department sometimes made him doubt its worth. The kids didn't always comply, often stepped over him, but there were those special times when it all came together. He had the confidence that this would be one of those times. He'd given them a simple assignment, one that he'd hoped would help open them up to him and the others. "Okay, friends. Now, I'd like you to take out those special writing assignments that I gave you for homework last night. We're all going to read them aloud to the class! Isn't that exciting?" Everyone groaned in remorse. For those who hadn't done the work, this was going to be an embarrassment. For those who had this too was to be an occasion for unease. Sensing this, Mr. Simmons picked the least abhorred of them all.

"Okay, Arnold why don't you start us off." 

Arnold stood up from his chair, paper in hand, all nervous eyes on his face. "The Person I Admire Most:" He began with the title. "The person I admire the most is"

__

"Helga. She makes my heart fill with love. Her golden locks cascade down her slender back on special occasions. Her button nose crinkles when she's mad. Her eyes shift to the floor when she's in love. Her feelings are held deep inside of her very being, and yet she opens them up to me." Arnold turned to Helga. Helga touches her cheek as a slight blush passes her by. "Helga, I love you. I know it's hard to say, but I'm comfortable with you. Good and bad." 

Helga stood from her desk, hand on her chest. "OH Arnold! My!" 

OH, crap! She'd done it again. Reality and fantasy spilling over into each other's worlds. The children looked at her expectantly, mouths gaping. This was it. She had between now, and five seconds from now to think of something REALLY good, before the kids initiated an endless tormenting, that happens every so often when it becomes obvious of who likes whom. 

"Helga, is everything okay?" Mr. Simmons offered in sympathy.

"It-It's just that"

Already a huge smirk seemed to be appearing on Harold and Rhonda's faces. Phoebe averted her eyes to the floor, hoping to relieve Helga's humiliation, at least a little bit. Sid and Stinky glanced at each other and snickered quietly. The rest of the class assumed a stupefied look. 

"It's just that Nobody CARES whether you admire your old grandpa or not, Football head! Cer-RIMeny!" The class burst out laughing, tension appeased. 

"Jeez, Helga! You sure are a funny one!" Stinky praised.

"Yeah, you got him pretty good!" Sid offered, smacking his knee. 

Harold fell out of his chair, rolled around on the floor, laughing obnoxiously. Helga sighed a mental phew!', and smiled, pleased with herself. The girl knew what people wanted to hear, part of her street-smarts charm, she mused. Basking in her own glory, she took the tiniest of moments to observe her love's reaction. He held his head low, and had already taken his seat. Gerald stood by him for comfort with a hand around his pal's shoulder. She could hear him telling Arnold something, but couldn't make out his words from the rest of the class, until she was a little closer.

"Don't worry, man. Besides, you should be used to this by now. This isn't the first time." Gerald consoled.

"Gerald, you don't understand. It's not really all that simple anymore, and I can't ignore her."

"I don't get it, Arnold. What's to stop you, man?"

Arnold looked at his confidant solemnly. "Gerald I have something to confess. You see, I have this strange condition. I-I guess it's not very common but--"

Yikes, this was getting close! Arnold was certainly a naïve little boy, but Helga doubted that Gerald would so gladly credit the fraudulent data. Something had to be done before the situation got any worse. Helga acted quickly. She removed a piece of paper from her desk and crumpled it into a ball, but just before she could toss it loosely into Arnold's direction, Mr. Simmons began to pacify the class with his shushing noises that no one ever particularly paid attention to anyway. 

"Class, class! Come on now. That's enough. Shh. Please class. Settle, settle." The children's laughter subsided and died down enough to continue with the readings. "Now, Helga," Her body stiffened like egg whites with the beater set on high. "Since you didn't find Arnold's paper very entertaining" _Don't you DARE say it! Don't you DARE!!_ "Perhaps you'd like to share yours." Mr. Simmons smiled encouragingly, wanting to see what the child could muster up in a moments notice. Helga's hands trembled as she fumbled for the paper in her desk. Why did he have to pick on her like that? He KNEW the person she'd written about. He always knew. 

"Helga. I'm waiting" Even Mr. Simmons desired stimulation at other peoples' expenses. 

"Just _wait_ a darn sec, will ya?!" Her search became more frantic, as the paper remained absent. If anyone were to find that paper, her life would be over. 

"Helga? You lookin' fer this?" Stinky began to un-crumple the paper he'd found on the floor. 

"Gimme that!!" She demanded, snatching her precious report. She scanned over the composition. 

__

Helga G. Pataki

The Person I Admire the Most

By Anonymous

I have fallen deep into his spirit

His inexperienced reasoning is so admirable

He bestows a virtuous guidance 

Unto those who claim distress

He speaks in silver tongues 

Beckoning my devotion to his heart

Crimeny!! I can't read this!'

"Um The Person I Admire the Most" All eyes on Helga. She could feel her face grow hotter. "By Helga." Sweat beads forming on her brow. "Helga Pataki" Knees getting weaker. "Helga G" Vision fading. "Pataki... Helga _G_. Pataki" Motor skill becoming feeble. "By Helga G. Patak Patak" Vomiting sensation progressing.

"ZZZ Boring!!" Harold belted out. The class laughed. 

"Helga. I think we all know who's written it by now." Mr. Simmons said. "Get on with it." 

"Um The Person I Admire the Most is" She glanced around the room. "Is" Her classmates looked in anticipation. "Is" _Phoebe_. "Is" _Lila_. "Is" _Gerald_. "Is" _ARNOLD_!! The class leaned in, perplexed.

"The person I admire most is AR" 

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!!

"Ah! That must be the guest speaker I for_got_ to tell you all about." Mr. Simmons smiled coyly. The class turned around, all attention away from Helga. Now, suspicious murmurs could be heard, wondering who this new person in their class could possibly be.

Helga stood with her paper held to her side, eyes wide open, in a catatonic state. Her body was rigid and numb. She'd almost confessed in front of an entire classroom that her relationship with Arnold was based on unexpressed emotions. Who ever was on the other side of that door had to be thanked personally by her, later on. She slowly sat in her seat, catching her breath, and rubbing her arms to relax her skin, which had formed goose pimples all along her body. She tried to maintain her focus on her teacher's soothing voice to help forget what she'd just done. _Breathe, Helga. Breathe. It can't get any worse. It just wont happen_

"Now, class. Today's guest speaker is kindly taking a break from her studies, just to talk to our class about the intricate social issues that effect young people today. I know! I know! It seems like something too big to handle for our grade four class, but as we're nearing the end of the term, I think we can handle it. I can just feel that this is going to work out great. So, without further adieu, let me introduce our guest" Mr. Simmons held the door knob and turned the handle. "Our new friend" 

She walked into the class

"O--Olga??!!!!"

"Baby _sis_ter! How are you, my little sugar-love?"

"Wh—What the heck are YOU doing here?" Helga was becoming frenzied, but Olga didn't seem to noticed and held her in an embrace. 

"I _know_! Isn't this so exciting? We'll be _working_ together! I love you!" Olga took her place at the front of the class. "Thank you so much for letting me stay in your class Mr. Simmons." She smiled warmly.

"My pleasure. It's so nice to have a young person deal with uh, young people issues." He smiled back at her. 

"Tee hee! Okay class. Let's get started! Like Mr. Simmons has already explained, I'm here to talk to you young people about what's called Young peoples' social issues'!" 

"Crimeny!" Helga buried her face in her hands. "It just got worse." 

Part 2 is over baby! Thanks all for the nice reviews. It means a lot. This chapter is based on stuff that used to happen to me all the time in class. It was a challenge for me to make Helga's reaction close to her character. Oh, and to answer your question, this will not be an "Arnold has a week to fall in love" fiction. I'm just trying to keep a theme going that no one is perfect'. How will Arnold fall for Helga? Maybe he wont, but Selectivo Admirabloh never said you had to be in love with the person. I just like to see Arnold focus on his own problems. The "give me a week" thing was just so that I don't write this story forever. 

c-ko


	3. Growing Up

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Helga's very special day

Disclaimer**:** Hey Arnold! ain't mine, buster! So you lawyers better stay the heck away from me.

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Part 3 **Growing Up **

A car pulled up in front of the Pataki residence. Two very different girls exited the car, with two very different looks on their faces. One was about to knock politely on the front door, but the other found that life was too long already, and to be held up by civility was unbearable. 

"Outta the way! Outta the WAY!" Helga stormed as she pushed the door open. She stomped into the kitchen where she found Miriam drinking a smoothie and Bob reading the newspaper.

"Why're you so late?" Bob boomed mechanically. "Your mother didn't start dinner because you weren't home!"

"I was held up by Miss Sunshine-lollipops, over there!" Helga pointed towards the door.

"Miriam, what the heck is your daughter talking about?"

"I'm talking about Olga, Big Bobbo, and if you had half a brain, you'd--"

"Olga? Why the heck didn't you say so, sooner?" His disposition suddenly transformed. 

Helga sighed as Her Grace entered the room in all her glory.

"Mummy! Daddy! I'm Home!" Olga's arms outstretched. Her parents ran to embrace her. 

Helga sat down at the table and began to read the funny pages from Bob's newspaper, which she often did when such an event was in progress. Helga snickered. "That's rich! Satchel and Bucky on Judge Judy? Where does this guy get his stuff?!" Helga continued flipping through the comics, reading even her most hated comic, "The Family Circus". Anything to avoid listening to her sister droning on about how wonderful life was treating her. "How's about that! Heart finally got Dean. Good for her, I say." Helga said to no one in particular. When the comic section proved to be too short, Helga amused herself with the self-help section. She liked to read about people with cheating husbands, corrupt in-laws, and evil plans for revenge on a past lover. However, today she would be veritably disappointed because the present column was about proper etiquette in a plane, and what to do if your neighbor's dog was barking at night. She had no choice but to listen in on her sister's senseless discussion. 

"--That's why I came here today." Catching the brink end of the contention, it seemed to Helga that Olga was in the middle of telling some of her 'life-information', as she liked them to call it. "I'm changing my major from Engineering, to Child Social Worker."

"What?!" Helga smacked her head.

"That's great, Olga. You take as much time as you need." Bob praised his daughter.

"But, that's the FOURTH time she's changed it, doi! You can't tell me you're actually stupid enough to be happy about this! " 

"Quiet down, Olga." Bob reprimanded.

"It's Helga, for crying out loud!" She threw up her hands.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." His attention turned back to his other daughter.

"I need a drink" Helga uttered under her breath. "Miriam, we got any tomatoes?" 

"In the fridge, dear." She replied, stupidly. 

"Good, it's about time I changed the eyes on my football-headed shrine." When it became apparent that nobody was listening to her, Helga turned around on her heel and huffed off up to her room. 

Holding the tomato in her hand, Helga made her way to the back of her closet. 'Arnold's' head was looking mighty disgusting, today. Helga considered looking into some non-organic body parts as soon as Olga was out of the house. She knew that if she brought googley eyes and paper arms into the building, Miss Arts-and-Crafts would come out of the box. Helga cranked up the volume on her love-music stereo and sliced the little tomato in half. She began planning her evening: A few Anonymous love poems to start; sacrificing a holy item to the Arnold divine creator was next. And to finish off her night, a little masterminding was necessary for tomorrow, to figure out how to get Arnold to keep quiet about his 'psychological disorder'.

"Right. I almost forgot all about that." Helga regarded her Arnold sanctuary, a feeling of guilt washed over her. "Oh, why? Why did I mislead Arnold into rationalizing an evil presence in his character? Enclosed in my rash bid for attention, is the innocent _love_ I hold for him. I reserve my ardor! Oh, impetuous Helga! Oh unattainable Arnold. Why, WHY!?"

"Baby--sis?" 

"Olga!"

"What are you? Mo-om!"

"Sh--!! Shut UP, you idiot!" Helga waved her hands in a halting motion. 

"Is everything alright up there, girls?" Miriam said in her vapid manner. Helga searched her sister's face for a response. 

"Puh-_lease_, don't say anything, Olga!" Helga could feel her sister's brain tick-tick-ticking. Negotiation over what her decision would be. Her slightly vacant face held a look not unlike that of her mother's.

"Well" She pondered, tapping her face with her index finger and looking towards the ceiling in an attempt to look thoughtful. "I guess I can forget about this, that is, if you help me with something, my little sibling." Olga smiled sweetly.

"Anything!" Helga said, all the while wanting to clean the smirk off of her sister's sly face. 

"It's nothing, mother, dear!" Olga hollered back down. Olga took her sister's hand and led her to her bed. They sat down together, both smiling surreptitiously at each other. This image, if one hadn't known the history of resentment that Helga held for her older relative, one would think that these two were very much at peace. 

"So," Helga began, breaking the silence.

"So," Olga replied.

"So?" Helga could feel this was going nowhere fast.

"So," Olga repeated. 

"So, what's the deal already?!" She yelled impatiently. Suddenly, Olga broke into tears and grabbed her sister's dress by the shoulders, looking deeply into Helga's eyes.

"Oh, baby sister! You've got to help me! Everything you said in the kitchen was so true! I can't decide on a major. And in a few weeks" 

Helga rolled her eyes, un-surprised. "What?" She said flatly.

"I'll be I'll be I'll be TWENTY-FIVE!" Olga wailed bitterly into Helga's dress leaving little dark pink, wet blotches. "And now they gave me this big project where I'm supposed to deal with young peoples social issues and find a solution to the problem! And soon I'm going to beto be TWENTY-FIVE!"

"Yes, I believe you've said that already."

"Helga, you're creative, right? You've got to help me, baby sister! I don't know anything. I'm so stupid. I can't do anything right!" Helga patted her sister's back briskly. 

"Well, can't argue with ya, there." She said sarcastically. Jeez, her sister really set herself up for that. But Olga sat unfazed by the remark and continued on.

Olga sniffed. "Can't you help?"

"I'm nine years old for Crissake! What do you want _me_ to do?"

Olga looked at her with her puppy dog eyes. "You're young, and therefore, have young peoples social issues, and I'm I'm OLD!" Olga began to bawl into her sister's lap again, leaving Helga with her fiery rage.

"So, the problem is that you're feeling sorry for yourself because you're finally not able to locate an easy solution, and now you're hoping that I'll bail you out? Well forget it missy! I don't DO hat tricks! Now, stay outta my room for the rest of the week, or however long you plan to live here to avoid your problems!" Helga pushed Olga off her legs and went right back into the closet, slamming the door behind her. Helga sat in the darkened wardrobe with her legs crossed. Her room was so quiet that she figured Olga had left weeping and wouldn't be bothered with her anymore. Helga began to feel a little unjust as she thought about her perfect sister who had come to her for help. She could have at least given her some stupid advice to make her feel better. But there was just something so outrageous about her sister, of all people, asking for help, that it made Helga uncover a newfound disgust for Olga.

"Who is it, anyway?" A voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I thought I told you to bugger off!" Helga's brow wrinkled. Her sister stood a foot away from the shrine. She'd quietly maneuvered her way in, unnoticed. 

"He must be a kind boy. He must be really nice, huh? Or maybe he's just cute, but no personality. Am I right?" She tested. Helga remained quiet. "You know," Olga offered. "I liked a boy very much, when I was your age. I always thought about him. He was sort of the rebel type, you know? Much older, though. I would follow him around when he was with his buddies. He never even noticed me." Helga seemed to be listening, now. "I would always make up stories in the school yard about how I liked stealing. I tried to get him to like me, like that, but, it was obvious he didn't really care." Olga began to giggle. "Do you know what I did? This one time, he got caught stealing and the police were called. I thought he would think I was cool if I took the rap for him, so I told the police that _I_ sneaked the item into his bag when he wasn't looking, and then I got into trouble instead of him." Olga returned to her solemn state when she noticed that Helga wasn't laughing. "He said, 'thanks, kid.' and he never spoke to me again." There was a long gap of silence as Helga thought over her sister's words, and how they applied to her life.

"So, in the end, you didn't get Arno uh, the guy?" She spoke ultimately. Olga shook her head. "And what you're saying is--Is that I never will either."

"Oh, no, my little love muffin! Not at all." She brightened. "I mean, I never introduced myself properly. He was much too old for me. I tried to become him. A whole bunch of reasons!"

"So, then, how do you get someone to like you enough to get to know the real you?" Helga said uncertainly.

"You've just given me a really good idea for a project. Oh, Helga, this is so exciting! We're communicating! I wont be a bad social worker after all! I'll get a great mark! And I wont be twenty-five for weeks and weeks and weeks!" Olga voiced energetically. She bounced out of the room like an idiot. 

Helga hung her head. "What a nitwit." She thought. But a smile crept onto her face without her thinking about it. There was now more hope for her and Arnold. Olga had just tried too hard to mirror the boy. Helga never tried to be like Arnold. In fact, she was the anti-Arnold. Nothing could go wrong, now that she knew the rule. Nothing much. 

Notes: I find Helga's house to be not so funny, so I couldn't really write anything very amusing for this chapter. Also, I've been accused of theft at my job, causing me to leave, which has also put a damper on my mood. I'll try and make the next one more upbeat. Oh, yeah. If you want to see my current manga, here's the website! http://perfectworld.zerobyzero.ca/ BTW, my very creative sister wrote it for me to draw, so it's a lot better than my stories. R&R!


	4. Olga 'helps'

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Disclaimer: Hey Arnold!, love the show, don't own it. 

Helga awoke early the next morning with a massive headache. Her eyeballs could feel the agony of the gray matter behind it. She couldn't reason why her head hurt so much, but she knew it must be having quite a lot to do with

"Olga" She mouthed aloud in a sickly tone. Yes, Olga had caused her many-a-headache in her nine or so years of existence. And last night was of no exception. She had walked in on Helga during a ritual Arnold worshipping session, and had further tried to pry the boy's name from Helga's lips (to no avail, by the way). Helga kept her mouth shut, but had learned a lesson from her sister, which was that opposites really do attract. She had already planned exactly just how opposite she was going to be. 

"Arnold! So innocent, so pure!" Her eyes fluttered, heart raced, she sighed. A slow chuckle came to her throat. "Heh, heh, heh! He'll never know what hit 'im. If he wants opposite, I'll give him opposite, alright!" She wrung her hands diabolically. "Arnold," She spoke to her shrine. "I'll be your contrasted conscience, the black to your white" She paused, "I will be your opposite, Arnold, my love!" 

"Knock, knock, baby sis!" Olga cracked the door open. 

Helga huffed. "Oh, what _is_ it? Can't you give me five minutes alone?"

"Well It's just that," She smiled warmly at Helga.

"What?" She said impatiently. "What is it just?" 

Olga giggled. "It's just that I was going to drive you into school today." She delayed her sentence again for a hasty laugh.

"_And_!?" Helga smacked her crown in exasperation before realizing her head was still in a state of migraine. 

"And, well, I can't anymore." Olga bit her lower lip, trying to restrain her delight. Helga began towards the door to push it closed. "Wait! Don't you want to hear why I can't drive you in?" Olga blocked the door with her foot. 

"Not unless it has something to do with you leaving for college, later today." She replied, indifferently.

"Nope, it's better!"

"See you soon. I'll walk." The door shut but reopened again in the same moment, Olga presented herself in the room.

"You, my sweet sister, have an unexpected companion to walk you in, this morning." Olga beamed emphatically.

"Huh? Phoebs?" Helga guessed. 

"Better. It's a _boy_!" She announced with great enthuse.

"A b-- A boy?" Helga asked nervously. "What _kind_ of boy?"

"A nice, sweet, and simple boy Anyone you know?" 

"Ar-- Is it" Helga swallowed, although her throat was too dry for that. Helga quickly glanced into the mirror. Ah well, wasn't much she could do in _that_ department. She rushed down the stairs to meet her visitor

"Stinky? What the-- what the heck are _you_ doing here?" She turned to her sibling. "You tricked me!" Olga returned her remark with a dense look on her face.

"Isn't he?"

"NO! You idiot! This is Stinky. I can't believe you thought it was Stinky! What kind of a simpleton do you take me for? Crimeney!" She turned to face him. "And why are you showing up at my doorstep for?" 

"Well, yer fine specimen of a sister told me you'd inviter'ed me here. For a loverly walk to the school grounds. I thought it'd be nice, is all, Helga."

"What?" She said in disbelief.

"I said, 'I thought it'd be nice, is all, Helga.'"

"You You! Get off of my property, you dolt!" Helga shoved him back and slammed the door. "I can't believe you did that, Olga! Thank God you're too stupid to figure out that I like Ar--" Damn. She was just letting it slip way too much, lately. She needed to become stricter with herself, and promise she would never again speak his name aloud in public.

"OH! OH! I feel SO _horr_ible! Oh me! Why must I be cursed with this need to help my little sister out of trouble?" 

"Really, don't beat yourself up over it, Olga. You didn't help me at all. " Helga shook her head. "Please, whatever you do, don't meddle."

Olga sniffed. "Don't worry, my little love-bug. I'll make it up to you." She promised. 

* * *

"Oh! My! GOD!" Rhonda burst into the classroom exceptionally early on this Monday morn. Used to her being fashionably delayed, the class perked at her presence. "_Guess_ what I just heard?!" With baited breaths, the kids began to form a half-circle around the most sought out schoolgirl. Each with their own distinct eager faces gazing up at her. When it became evident that all the cool kids were at her attention, she continued. "I heard Mr. Simmons and Olga talking about our big social project And--get this-- We're going to have a 'Secret Admirer's Dance' in the gym!" The class burst out into chatter. Who would be going with whom? How would this secret admirer 'thing' work? What would everyone be wearing? And so on. And so forth. 

However, amidst the general excitement of a group of young students, at the back of the class, a young fair-haired girl sat wide-eyed in her hard chair, hand touching her lip. Olga walked into the classroom triumphantly and gave her sister a wink.

****

Notes: This chapter is a bit short, but I wanted to get it out before school gets complicated. So now you know there is a Secret Admirer Dance. Expect something weird about Lila next and a little more Hey Arnold Hassles. C&C appreciated!

cko@zerobyzero.ca

http://perfectworld.zerobyzero.ca/


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